Battle in Ukraine suggests divide among pro-Russian forces

• The struggle for Soledar, a town in east Ukraine north of Bakhmut, fought by Russian army.
• Yevgeny Prigozhin, declared that only his forces participated.
• The fierce battle has continued, according Ukrainian defense ministry.

The struggle for Soledar, a town in east Ukraine north of Bakhmut that has recently been the scene of conflict, is being fought by Russian soldiers, according to the Russian defense ministry.

It happens after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the notoriously vicious Wagner mercenary group in Russia, declared that only his forces participated and claimed that his fighters had complete control there.

Any success will almost certainly be used by Mr. Prigozhin to enhance Wagner’s standing as a potent combatant in the eyes of President Putin.

The notorious oligarch’s assertions, however, appeared to be refuted by the Russian defense ministry.

A battalion of the Russian Airborne Forces has blockaded Soledar from the north and the south, according to military spokesman Igor Konashenkov.

“The Russian Air Force is carrying out strikes on enemy strongholds. Assault troops are taking part in battles inside the town.” There was no mention of Wagner forces.

The fierce battle has continued, according to Wednesday’s statement from the Ukrainian defense ministry, and Wagner forces have been unsuccessful in breaching Ukrainian defenses.

If Soledar loses, Mr. Prigozhin will benefit. He boasted that “no other units took part in the storming of Soledar except from Wagner” in a statement issued on Tuesday night.

Wagner units represent a significant portion of the forces engaged in combat in the region, according to Ukrainian and US sources.

Long-standing conflicts between the military and Wagner have been discussed by analysts, and Mr. Prigozhin has openly criticized generals for apparently lacking perspective on the realities of the fight in Ukraine.

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